Bhupendra Patel took oath as the Chief Minister of Gujarat on Monday afternoon. Fondly addressed as 'Dada' by his supporters, Bhupendrabhai Rajnikanthbhai Patel is set to become the 17th Chief Minister of Gujarat. Patel has been invited on Monday by Governor Acharya Devvrat to the oath as the chief minister.
Bhupendra Patel received Home Minister Amit Shah at the Ahmedabad airport today ahead of his swearing-in ceremony which will also be attended by four chief ministers of BJP-ruled states.
Goa CM Pramod Sawant, Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan attended the oath-taking ceremony.
Nitin Patel was seen as a top contender for the post before the party gave the opportunity to Bhupendra Patel. Bhupendra Patel met Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel who said he was not unhappy with the BJP’s decision.
Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat tweeted that “the newly appointed leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Legislature Party, Bhupendrabhai Patel, presented a proposal to form a new government under his leadership. Accepting the proposal, he was invited to take oath as the Chief Minister on September 13, 2021 at 2:20 pm.”
Mr Rupani, who was present on the occasion, endorsed the new Chief Minister, saying the party will "successfully contest the polls" under his leadership. Elections in Gujarat are due next year.
Mr Rupani stepped down from the post of Gujarat CM. He was the fourth Chief Minister to be replaced in the BJP ruled states so far this year.
Also read: New Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel to take oath on Monday
Patel is, however, not a new face in politics and has served as the Ahmedabad municipal councilor. He holds a diploma in civil engineering, also served as the chairman of the Standing Committee of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA). He grabbed more than 72 percent of the vote share in the Ghatlodia constituency during the 2017 assembly polls.